Findlay requires a zoning permit for any fence, new or replacement. The city’s zoning FAQ lists fences alongside sheds, decks and pools as work that needs one, and the penalty for skipping it is blunt: the fee is tripled and a stop work order goes on the project.
The Zoning Office is in Room 304 of the Municipal Building, 318 Dorney Plaza, Findlay OH 45840, on 419-424-7108, open Monday to Friday 08:00 to 17:00. Permits are ready for pickup and payment the next business day after 13:00, paid by cash or check at the counter or online once you have the permit number.
Height limits
Findlay’s fence rules are in Section 1161.03 of the codified ordinances, rewritten at the end of 2023:
- Front yard, up to the established building line: 48 inches maximum, and the fence must be 50 percent open
- Side and rear yards: 8 feet maximum
- Next to an interstate highway: 10 feet
- Street side yard on a corner lot: the fence may come up to the building line or the street side setback, whichever is less, and the same 48 inch, 50 percent open rule applies
Eight feet at the side and rear is generous by north-west Ohio standards. Toledo, Bowling Green and Perrysburg all stop at 6 feet. A tall privacy fence that would need a variance hearing elsewhere is simply permitted here.
What 50 percent open means
The code gives its own example. If a picket is 2 inches wide, the gap between pickets must be at least 2 inches. A solid privacy panel in the front yard fails that test at any height, so the front run of a fence is a picket, rail or ornamental style by rule. The city’s own permit form says the same thing in fewer words: along any road, 4 feet and at least half open.
Property line and right-of-way
Fences and walls may be built up to the property line. They may not encroach on the right-of-way, or on a proposed right-of-way shown in the city’s Thoroughfare Plan, which is a detail worth asking about on a main road. The code puts the location squarely on you: the property owner is responsible for where the fence sits in relation to the line. That is why the permit application requires a to-scale site plan showing that at least two property pins have been located.
Chain link and materials
Chain link is allowed only in side or rear yards, and slats in chain link are prohibited. The non-structural face of any fence faces outward. Barbed wire, security wire and sharpened spikes are banned outside the industrial districts. Ball diamonds, tennis courts and other fenced sports areas are exempt from the height limits.
Corner lots
The fence section sends corner lots to Section 1163.11, the corner vision clearance standards. We did not get that section open, so we are not printing a triangle size. Ask zoning what the clearance is before you plan a fence near an intersection.
The fee
Here we have to be straight with you. The city points to a Zoning Permit fee schedule for the cost, and that document sat behind a page we could not open. We are not printing a fee we have not read. Ask when you call 419-424-7108.
A code update is coming
The zoning department keeps a zoning code update page on the city site. The 2023 fence section is current as we write, but if you are reading this a year on, confirm the numbers before you order.
What to ask when you call
- The current fence permit fee
- Whether your lot counts as a corner lot, and what the vision clearance triangle is
- Where the established building line falls on your lot, since the 48 inch rule runs up to it
- Whether a proposed right-of-way on the Thoroughfare Plan touches your frontage
- Whether an inspection follows
Call 811 before anyone digs
Ohio law requires notice to the Ohio Utility Protection Service at least two working days before digging. Call 811 or 1-800-362-2764, or file online. A paid contractor has to make that call on every job. There is more on our 811 page.
What a fence costs in Findlay
Findlay is in Hancock County, where the combined sales tax is 6.75 percent. Under Ohio rules the fence contractor pays that tax on his materials and quotes you a lump sum, because a fence is an improvement to real property, so there is no tax line on your invoice.
See your price range
Put your fence runs into the estimator and see the installed range for your yard, then request a quote. Tell the installer whether any run sits forward of the building line, because in Findlay that is the line between a 48 inch picket fence and an 8 foot privacy fence.
Questions people ask
Do I need a permit for a fence in Findlay?
Yes, for a new fence or a replacement. The city lists fences with sheds, decks and pools as work that needs a zoning permit, and if you start without one the fee is tripled and a stop work order goes on the job.
How tall can my fence be in Findlay?
Up to 8 feet in the side and rear yards, or 10 feet next to an interstate. In the front yard, up to the established building line, the limit is 48 inches and the fence must be 50 percent open. The same 48 inch rule applies to the street side of a corner lot.
How much is the Findlay fence permit?
The city points to its Zoning Permit fee schedule, and we could not open that document, so we are not printing a figure. Ask when you call 419-424-7108.
Can I put chain link in my front yard?
No. The code allows chain link only in side or rear yards, and slats in chain link are prohibited everywhere.
Can the fence go on the property line?
Yes, fences and walls may be built up to the property line, but not into the right-of-way. The application requires a to-scale site plan showing that at least two property pins have been found, and the code makes the owner responsible for the fence’s location.
Who do I call in Findlay?
The Zoning Office, Room 304 of the Municipal Building, 318 Dorney Plaza, on 419-424-7108 or Zoning@FindlayOhio.gov, Monday to Friday 08:00 to 17:00.